2001 AACC Annual Meeting Charlotte, North Carolina October 14-18, 2001 Charlotte Convention Center

From the earliest days of the 20th century, the sciences of cereal genetic improvement and cereal chemistry have been intimately intertwined to enable production efficiency and product quality to make conjoined advances. Nevertheless the complexities of the cereal genetic system have made it difficult for breeders to respond to the changes championed by cereal chemists. The chemists also have had to cope with many complex and interacting grain constituents. Now, developments in gene technologies are providing a springboard to major advances in cereal breeding and chemistry. DNA markers are enabling wheat breeders to select for milling and dough properties, which were previously out of their reach. Recombinant DNA technology permits cloning of specific protein coding genes for synthesis of polypeptides in amounts that can be added to flour or dough for assessment of their physical properties. All the genes for starch biosynthesis enzymes have been isolated and their functionality can be assessed in naturally occurring variants and in transgenic plants. Genome sequencing, functional genomic analysis, proteomics and more, have expanded the scope and efficiency of plant breeding. Grains can be designed with properties precisely fitting particular end uses. Profiling all grain constituents is an achievable goal and in ten years we should know the function and interactions of every molecular species in the grain. New genes will be introduced to produce new constituents with desired novel properties. Cereal grains feed the world - in the near future they will do so with a greater fit to end-use quality and health requirements.